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No. 6l7,806. Patented Jan. l7, I899. F. E. CANDA.

ELECTRIC IGNITEB FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Aug. 26. 1897. (No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

WITNESSES: Q INVENTOR W ATTORNEYS No. 6|7,806. Patented Jan. l7, I899. F. E. CANDA. ELECTRIC IGNITEB FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Aug. 96, 1897.) (No Modal.) 2 Shoatu8hoat 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

WMMvJM ATTORNEYS lowing to be tion ofthe for the separate igniting and in the novel combination,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND E. CANDA, or NEW .YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC IGNITERI FOR EXPLOSIVE-YENGINIES.

SPEGIIEIQA'IfION i'orming'part of Letters Patent No. 617,806, dated January 17, 1899. Application an August 26,1897. Berlallio. 649,504. woman.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERDINAND E. CANDA, a. citizen of the United, States, residing at ew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas and Oil Engines; and I do hereby declare the folinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whieh'it appertains to make and use the same. Y

My invention relates to improvements in gas and oil engines, and particularly to improvements in electric igniting and speedregulating mechanism forsnch engines.

My inventionconsists in employing a plurality of igniting devices for each engine-cylinder and operating, bypreference, a plurality of such igniting devices during each work'- ing stroke of the cylinder, so as to insure the production of a spark by some one of the igniting devices during each working stroke; in providing separate circuits and batteries devices of each engine-cylinder and switches by which one or moreof the batteries connected with a different set of-igniting devices from that towhich it is ordinarily conncctcd, thus making it possible to locate Ol bridge over-any defect in the operation of theigniting mechanism which may occur during the operation of the en inc; in'soarranging the several igniting divices of each ongine-cylinder that ignition may :be produced at diderent periods in the stroke, thusmaking it possible by throwing one or more of the igniting devices of each engine-cylinder out oi circuit to vary the speed .of the engine, construction, and arrangement of the pztrtsfl '.lhe objects of my invention are, first, to provide an igniting mechanism which shall more certainly ignite the explosive charges of oil and gas engines tlianthe igniting devices heretofore in use; second, to. provide means for locating defects in? the operation of the igniting mechanism and for bridging over such defects without interfering with the operation of the engine; third, to provide simple Incansforvarying the speed of the engine whichmay be operated at a distance from the engine,

a full, clear, and exact descrip-' may be disconnected or and, fourth, to make the i'gniting'and specd-regulatingmechan ism si inple, compact, certain-inaction, not liable to derangement, easily operated, and comparatively inexpensive.. These objects are attained in the invention h ii ejl elll described, and illustrated in the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, in which the same reference-numerals indicate the same or corresponding; parts, and in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of agas or oil engine with my inventionapPlied thereto, the igniting-chambers being sectioned to show the position of the. sparking devices and the electrical batteries, switches, and connections being indicated. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the engine. Fig. 3 is a detailvertical section. of one of the igniting-chambers, and Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of a modified form of sparking-cam. j In the drawings the invention is shown as applied to a three cyIinder vertical engine, but it may be appli ple cylinder gas oroil-engine of any-type, and the particular igniting mechanism employed comprises a series of sparking eontact-points, with means for bringing them together and separating them at proper in tervals, a nd suitable circuits and electrical generators thereforg j In former gas or oil engines having electrical igniting devices trouble has been experienced through the occasional failure of the igniting device to cause ign tion at the proper times. Entire failure of the igniting device to cause ignition continued for several successive strokes necessarily stops the engine, and the occasional failure of the igniting device to cause ignition at the beginning of a working stroke or ignition at too late a the efficiency of operation of the engine and causes undesirable fluctuation in speed. As electrical igniting devices have'been construeted heretofore it has been difficult to locate'any defect in the operation of the igniting device or to bridge over the defect without stopping the enginefor otherwise interfering with its operation. 1 I have found that by employing a number of separate 1gniting devices for each engine-cylinder the eifectiveness of the wholeigniting mechanism s very much increased, and it is rendered d to any single or multiperiod i n the stroke interferes greatly with By. arranging the failure of one or more otQthe batteries, may

beireadily bridged over,

several igniting devices of each engine-cylinder are produced successively insteadof. simultaneously I amable, by throwing one or more of the igniting devices out of circuit, to vary to a considerable extcntthe speed of theen- H10. plished may be located at a distance from the; engine, and tor'this reason this speed} regulating device is particularly suitable for use on launches wh en it is desirable to control "shown three such each igui ng-ch the speed of the engine from the bow;

T1!" thedrawings, 1 is an oil or. gas engine the dotailsot which are not illustrated an form no portion of the invention. As illustrated, it'is a three cylinder'engine.

2 2 2 are igniting-chambers connected by suitable .portsto thefworking cylinders and tor-min g in'effect parts thereof and which contain the contact-points bywhich the charges. are ignited. Y

3 3 3 arephort shafts within the ignitingchambers and projecting the'retroman which. are connected bys'uitable gearing to a counter-shaft 4, itself driven from themes;

shaft'j5 of the engine: If 'as is ordinarily thecase the engine is so arranged that each alternate stroke in each cylinder isa working stroke-that is, a stroke during which an explosion takes place-@the shafts 3 would be gearedte revolve at half the speed ot-the engine-shaft, I

Upon each.

Each of these cams, with its'pin, constitutes-a separate sparking device.- I'n'the drawings Ihave sparking devices within mberq" but agreate'r orlessnumber-imay be used; j It is desirable that there should bet-a plurality of such igniting devices inje'ach igniting-chamber, however,

i in order to avoid thdoccasiona'l'failure'to iga -ehar'gaato whichrfrel'erencc has been fromia side of-th'e' igniting-chamber, and a Itach' lpln 7 maybe'r'iloun'ted' in a tube 8 roj'ectiugfroni andFinsulated electrically Ffspggq n mirf'thisltube may be employ to press-the pin again'st'itscam; the motion of the pinibei'ng'liim u tedtby asa -10, working in a' slot infthe pin. so arranged -.thatithey make contact gradually with the pins 7-, but break contact somethe difierent igniting devices,

so that the sparkswhat abruptly, so that each sparking device The switches. by which this is 'accol'n- "e'ftecth er the cams are teries 12, 13, and 14.- are/pro'v-ided, each .cer-

each engine-cylinder.- -Eromeneof the poles of each battery a switches l,=,17,f and 18-and:.thenee:t0 a-sui't able terminal board 19, from whence itiacoi nected to one of-the three contact-pins otjeach engine-cylinder, the return being through a the engine, the sever-at cams being in elec tactwith'asuitable'contactipiece in the bases.

piece or with-the contact-piece ot'an adjoin-1 in switch,-as'iudicated.in dotted lines. 7 It of circuit with its sparking deviceor to connect each battery with a dilferent fset of sparkingdevicesfrom that to which it is ordinarily connected, and by springing one set of sparking devices, if desired.

As shown in Fig. 3, the several cams-in each igniting-chamber i'nay bestaggered upon the cam-shaft, so that the three pmducetheir sparkshbdifierent times. In such cases the charge will ordinarily beignitcd by the spark first produced-find to save bat tery-po'wer the ether-igniting devices may he keep them in circuit when the engineis under heavy load, and is .for this reason likely to stop or to 'slow an explosion. If it-is desired to reduce the speed of the engine, that sparking device of each cylinder which produces thofirstspalk. in each working; stroke may be: thrown out of circuit and-the second sparking device employedtoignite-the charge.- Sincethissecond igniting device produces a spark aphttle later provided with al -suit?- U thecouncction et an Thearrangementof the electrical circuits is indicated'in'-Fig.'-.1. Three-separate bat-v f. respondingto one of the: sparking devices of Icircuit through a sparking-coil 15 .andv-through'one of three lconductor 20, connectedto the base-plate of trical connection with the shafts 3,"w hich are =consistihg each or a ioo it may be moved and arranged to make con; i

plate, and the relative positions ofrthese switches should besuch' th'ateach switch lej ver may make contact'with-its own is t erefore possible to throw eachbattery out I r switch-lever over an adjoiningswi'tch-lever I two batteries may be connected toihe same shaft 3- is a series of cams 6, coacting with spring-pressed pins'fl. 50

sparkingdeviccs V thrown out of circuit, although .itis better to 1 2 5 down considerably if it misses than that-which would be produced by the V j though it took /der engine such as of the stroke,

use of the sparking-coils 15 in first det *cc, the explosion takes place somewhat after the piston has begun its stroke, and the explosion is not quite so effective as place close to the beginning of the stroke. In the same way if it is desired to still further reduce the speed both the first and second sparking devices of each enginecylinder may be thrown out of circuit and the charge ignited b the third sparking device. By this means the speed of the engine may be reduced very considerably, and since the switches 16, 17, and 18 may be located at adistanee from the engine they may be placed at any point from which it is desirable to control the engine. This speed-regulating device is particularly applicable for use upon launches, where it is often desirable to regulate the speed of the engine from the bow of the boat. It may also be used on motor-wagons.

Where the utmost certainty in the operation of the igniting apparatus is required and it is less important to be able to regulate the speed-of the engine by means of the igniting apparatus, the cams of each ignitingchamber may be formed in one piece, as shown in Fig. 4.

The-cams are so shaped and the motion of the pins 7 is so limited that the pins are in contact with the cams for only a small portion of the revolution of the cams. I thereby avoid waste of battery-power.

In place of battery-currents dynamo-currents may be used, if desired; but ordinarily it is more convenient to use batteries.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The engine being in operation and all of the sparking devices being in circuit, the camshafts 3 are revolved by the gearing by which they are connected to the main shaft of the engine, their speed, however, in engines of the ordinary type being buthalf the speed of the engine-shaft. Therefore the sparking devices of each cylinder will produce a spark only on every alternate forward stroke in that cylinder. The sparking-cams of each cylinder are so set upon their shaft that theyproduce' sparks at or very shortly after the beginning or if the'sparking-cams be staggored on the shaft, as shown in Fig. 3, the first cam is adjusted so that itproduces a spark at or very shortly after the beginning of the stroke, and the other cams are adjusted to produce sparks at later periods. As the cam-shafts 3 revolve, between the pins 7 and the cams 6 are broken. at intervals, when these pins ride over the ends of the teeth of the cams, thus producing sparks which ignite the explosive charges in the igniting-chambers and engine-cylinders. The intensity of these sparks, and therefore theirelfectiveness in igniting the charges, is greatly increased, as is well known, by the the circuits.

Ordinarily the cranks of a multiple-cylinthat shown in the drawings will not be in line, and therefore the explosions in the different cylinders will not therefore, the contacts by the switch take place simultaneously, but at difierent times, thus securing a'nearly uniform effort upon the engine-shaft. i

I fit be desired to throw one of the batteries out of circuit, so as to economize batterypower, or if it be desired to reduce the speed of the engine, one ofthe switch-levers-as, for instance, that of switch 181nay be moved either to the right or to the left until it is out of-contact with its contact-post. Ifjt be desired to throw a second battery out of circuit for similar reasons, the lever of the switch 17 may be moved to the right or to the left until itis out of contact with its contactpost.v In the same way battery 14 may be thrown out of circuit by operating the switch 16, and this may bedone, if desired, while batteries 12 and 13, or either of them, are in circuit. If it be. desired to determine whether one of the batteries or one of the sparking devices is not working properly, the switches may be operated soas to supply current to but one of the sparking devices at a time. If when only one of the sparking devices in each cylinder is in circuit coexplosions in. one of the engine-cylinders take place, then it is evident that its' sparking device is not operating properly, and by connecting it with a different battery from that to which it is ordinarilyconnect-ed it is possible to determine whether the fault is with the sparking device or with the battery. Thus if it be suspected that one of the sparking devices in the circuit controlled by switch 16 is not working properly switches 17 and 18 may be opened, and if when this is done there are no explosions in one of the engine-cylinders or' if the explosions are irregular then it is evident that the sparking device of that cylinder is not operating properly. If all of the sparking devices In a single circuit fail to operate when thus tested, the fault wi ordinarily be with the battery, and this may be determined by opening the switch 16'and the switch 17 into contact with the contactpost of the switch 16, thus throwing 13 into what is normally the circuit of battery 12, or the lever of switch 17 may be sprung over the lever of switch 16, in which case batteries 12 and- 13 will be placed in multiple, or the engine may be set at one of the poin tswhere the igniting con tactrpoints are in contact and the circuit of the suspected battery closed through its switch and too by moving the lever of battery then broken. If when the circuit is broken switch, it is certain that either the battery or the circuit is defective.

I do'not limit myself to the particular type of igniting devices herein shown and deed/or to the particular type and arrangement of the switches.

The use of a plurality of igniting devices to each engine-cylinder instead of but a sin gle igniting device, as has been the case heretofore, and the placing of these sparking deno spark is produced at the vices iii Idifierentiportions "of the igniting erases chamber besides'renderingthe ignition more a certain insures amore nearly instantaneous i gnition'and expiosio'n of the whole charge,

5" thus increasing the efficiency of operation in the engine If the engine be a single-cylinder engine instead of a multiple-cylinder engine, as illustrated,

niting-chamber 2 and but be the same as those supposed that the ing devices of two of connections there will bebut'one ig-. one cam-shaft -3, and the lectric circuits and connections will shown inFig. 1 if it-be to the sparkthe cylinders are omitto a multiple cylinder engine.

Having thus completely described my in- 'ventiou, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl r p I 1. An igniting mechanism for the working cylinders-of gas and a plurality oil engines, comprising of separate electrical igniting devicesiiaving separate circuits, means for supplying current thereto, ing said igniting devicesinto and out of action,- and for throwing pendentlyof the others,

scribed. v- -2. Anigniting'mechanism for and oil engines,

0 cylinders of gas a plurality of separate and means for throweach into action indesubstantially as decomprising electri l vices having separate circuits, means for supplying current thereto,

and switches in said circuits for throwing each ignitingdevice into and out of action independently of the others, substantially as described Au igniting mechanism :61- the warring cylinders of gas and oil engines, of separate electrical com prising 4o vices hav ng separate circuits and separate and switchesin-said cirstantiallyas described the working igniting de-j igniting decuits'adapted to throw each igniting device into and also into and out of circuit'with the generator of a diflerentignitingdevice, substantiallyasdescribed. J 4. A speed-regnlating mechanism for gas and oil engines, compiisingaplurality of separate electrical igniting devices, adap to ignite the charges at different periods in the stroke, and means for throwing the severa igniting devices into and out of action,- will, substantially as described.

'5. In an internal-combustion combination with an engine-cy plurality of separate electrical igniting devices for said cylinder, set to ignite the charges at difierent-periods in the stroke, and having separate circuits and separate electrical generators, and switches in said circuits adapted to throw each igniting device into and out of circuit with its own generator, and also into and out of circuit with a generator of a device, subengine, the

difierentiguiting 6. In an electrical igniting mechanism for gas and oil engines, the combination, with a cam-shaft within the engine-cylinder, a sethereon-and staggered with reterenee to each other; and means for rotating said shaft, of a series. of movable pins opposite said oams, means for pressing said p as toward and against said cams, an means for limiting the motion of the pins, said pins be inglinsulated; from the cams ints of contact, substantially as described. In testimonywhereot I amx my signature in presence of two witn. I FERDINAND E GANDA.

Witn': i MAY F.Pa-rrrm, f

Hsaar M. MARBLE,

linder, of a] except at the.

andout of circuit'with its own ge' orator- 

